Vegan Ricotta Pizza Poppers

Do you guys remember bagel bites? Those little bagels with all the pizza toppings that you used to binge eat like 30 of and then still be hungry for more? I know I do!

This week with all the parties and family get togethers I was trying to think of some fun appetizers that I could create to serve, and all I could think about were those little tiny pizza bagel bites! Now, since going full vegan I obviously don’t eat those anymore but I knew there had to be a fun – and delicious – way to pay homage to these childhood treats while creating a delicious party dish.

After scratching my head for a while, I came up with vegan ricotta pizza poppers! They are the more “gourmet” option -if you will – that involve baby bellas (crimini) mushrooms, some delicious magic tomato sauce, and a little spin on my Ricotta Cheese from my Vegan Spinach Ricotta Lasagna Rolls!

Now just so you know, these don’t taste like traditional pizza. They have a much creamier taste due to the ricotta. But even though they are a little different they still have a unique and delicious flavor – just be sure to serve them with a little extra sauce so that you can get a full bodied flavor from the entire experience!

The vegan ricotta does carry a strong flavor too, so be sure to give it a quick taste before you load up the mushrooms to determine exactly how much you want to use – I loved the flavor so I used a ton of it haha!

Please enjoy these delicious pizza inspired appetizers and share them at your next gathering!

Take the stems off the mushrooms so that they are like "mini bowls", then clean them before the next step.

Place all the Vegan Ricotta ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Now place all the mushrooms on a baking sheet "bowl side" up.

One at a time, fill the mushrooms with the tomato or pizza sauce, then top with a scoop of the vegan ricotta.

Bake in the oven for 12-16 minutes, the longer you cook them the softer the mushrooms will get. The sauce may spill over a bit - but I will still look good, promise!

Serve while still warm with a bowl of extra sauce and enjoy!

Tips and Ideas

Don't be scant with the sauce - you want to have enough to balance the flavor of the ricotta cheeseYou don't have to make mini pizzas with this recipe you could also get full size portobello caps and make them that way.Don't forget to warm up the sauce that you're planning to use for dipping!